Security Systems News - Sonitrolhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/taxonomy/term/810
enKimberlite sets new national recordhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/kimberlite-sets-new-national-record
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<div class="field-item even">Company’s central station has most assisted apprehensions</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2015-03-19T00:00:00-04:00">03/19/2015</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Spencer Ives</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p class="p1">FRESNO, Calif.—Kimberlite, the largest independent Sonitrol dealer, in 2014 had the highest apprehension rate of central stations that release annual figures, determined by Kimberlite’s research.</p>
<p class="p1">“We finished [2014] with 1,081 assisted apprehensions out of our central station,” Joey Rao-Russell, president and CEO of Kimberlite, told Security Systems News. This figure represents, not incidents, but individuals apprehended by police as part of Kimberlite’s service, Rao-Russell said.</p>
<p class="p3">“[In] other central stations, I have never heard of anybody having that kind of record,” she said. </p>
<p class="p3">The company tracks its apprehension rate through its policy on alarm verification. “We are 100 percent verification in our central station—we don’t do conventional monitoring,” she said.</p>
<p class="p3">Kimberlite’s market mix played a role. “We do a tremendous amount of schools and government agencies, which are high visibility targets, often times for vandalism and burglary.”</p>
<p class="p3">Providing accurate information to law enforcement helps Kimberlite build a positive relationship with law enforcement, Rao-Russell said.</p>
<p class="p3">Kimberlite held a celebration on March 4 for its staff, where “the senior management [served] dinner and [catered] to all of our shifts,” Rao-Russell said.</p>
<p class="p3">“It’s a really nice time, and it’s fun to get to interact with everybody,” she said. The event also included handing out gift cards, commemorative jackets and thank-you cards.</p>
<p class="p3">Kimberlite is approaching its goal of $1 million in RMR, Rao-Russell said, noting that the company finished 2014 with $989,000 in RMR. “All of our growth has been purely organic and none has been done by acquisition,” she added.</p>
<p class="p3">Kimberlite has 6,077 accounts, across its operating territory which “goes from northwest Los Angeles, up through the central valley and northern California,” according to Rao-Russell,</p>
<p class="p3">Rao-Russell also noted that the company of 110 employees is entirely employee-owned.</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Kimberlite sets new national record" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Thu, 19 Mar 2015 16:13:40 +0000Spencer Ives18199 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/kimberlite-sets-new-national-record#commentsPromotions at SAFE Securityhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/also-noted/promotions-safe-security
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<div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2014-10-08T00:00:00-04:00">10/08/2014</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>SAN RAMON, Calif.—Randy Perkins has been named EVP and COO at SAFE Security. Also, Jess Alvarado has been appointed CFO for the company, which acquires and provides customer account management services for monitoring contracts.</p>
<p>Perkins joined SAFE in 2005 and became VP of operations a year later. He previously worked for Sonitrol and Bay Alarm Company, where he served as an installation/service manager, sales manager, central station manager, branch manager and director of operations.</p>
<p>Alvarado has more than 15 years of finance and accounting experience. Before joining SAFE in 2013, he was CFO of Marin Mountain Bikes and has worked for Big Four accounting firms.</p>
<p><a href="http://securitysystemsnews.com/article/safe-security-acquires-safeguard-security">SAFE acquired Safeguard Security in August</a>, a deal that brought in 300 employees, $1.5 million in RMR, 25,000 customers, a guard business and a central station.</p>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Promotions at SAFE Security" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 08 Oct 2014 18:32:55 +0000Amy Canfield17840 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/also-noted/promotions-safe-security#commentsTalking keypads and panels with Chip Shiverhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/talking-keypads-and-panels-chip-shiver
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:date"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2014-07-07T00:00:00-04:00">07/07/2014</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Leif Kothe</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p><span id="styles-0-0" class="styles file-styles medium"> <img class="media-image" id="2" typeof="foaf:Image" src="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/sites/ssn/files/styles/medium/public/07.GN_.Shiver.jpg?itok=xr1Hsu2Q" /></span>DAYTON, Ohio—It’s safe to say that Chip Shiver, president of Sonitrol SW Ohio and Shiver Security Systems, got into the industry a bit earlier than most. “I guess you could say I was born into it,” he told Security Systems News. Shiver’s father started Sonitrol of Southwest Ohio in 1971, based here, and since then Shiver has been involved “on and off since day one.”</p>
<p>Early on, Shiver never had any intention to stay in the industry. But ultimately, after going through school, maturity intervened, he said. Shiver began to realize that, like his father, he too wanted to remain a part of the industry he knew so well.</p>
<p>“It just hit me that there’s something here,” he said. “I really have no regrets. I’ve seen a lot of things and been around a lot of opportunities, but I can’t think of one at this point that I would exchange for what I’ve been involved with in this industry.”</p>
<p>Here’s how an industry lifer manages security at home.</p>
<p><strong>What kind of system do you have?</strong><br />I have a Sonitrol system in my residence. It would be the latest version Sonitrol system, which we term the iBase. This is a panel that we transmit via the Internet in our residence and back up with cellular as far as transmission. It’s pretty much like all other systems in the industry with the exception that it’s a verified system and we verify by the use of audio detectors.</p>
<p><strong>Why this particular setup?</strong><br />Because I think the audio verification gives me the maximum possible protection for my residence when I’m not at home. In other words, I have every other means of detection in my residence that typically the other systems offer, but in addition I have audio, so I’m protecting my residence from the roof, the wall, ceiling glass, basically any point of entry when the residence is empty.</p>
<p><strong>What is the one aspect of your security system that you wouldn’t want to live without?</strong><br />The audio. It’s the way I’d go as far as verification, and the only means to supplement it would be the video side of it, which would give you a sure means of verification. If I had to choose audio or video, I’d take the audio because cameras can’t see around corners, and I would have to put a tremendous amount of cameras in my residence to replace the coverage I get from the audio.</p>
<p><strong>Where do you see security going next? What are some big trends?</strong><br />I see a lot of integration between the audio and systems because I believe verification is here and I believe it’s the way to go. I see smarter cameras coming, and I see a lot more integration in the security industry that would do far more than just security, fire or access control. With smart cameras and smarter devices, some of this could get into management of business on the retail side of it. I see smarter homes and smarter commercial sites.</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Talking keypads and panels with Chip Shiver" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Mon, 07 Jul 2014 15:06:33 +0000Leif Kothe17625 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/talking-keypads-and-panels-chip-shiver#comments3xLOGIC acquires Sonitrol product developmenthttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/3xlogic-acquires-sonitrol-product-development
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<div class="field-item even">Deal brings central station intelligence to 3xLOGIC and innovation to Sonitrol</div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Martha Entwistle</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>WESTMINSTER, Colo.—Intelligent video surveillance solution provider <a href="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/great-isc-west-roundup-2014" target="_blank">3xLOGIC</a> on June 13 announced it has acquired the product development and research group of Sonitrol from Stanley Security.</p>
<p>Stanley retains ownership of the Sonitrol franchise, which it <a href="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/stanley-acquire-sonitrol" target="_blank">purchased in 2008</a>. There also are 84 remaining independent Sonitrol franchises that are not owned by Stanley.</p>
<p>“We are now the owner of the product development and research organization,” Christie Walters, 3xLOGIC VP sales and marketing, told Security Systems News. “We also absorbed 24 engineers and technical support professionals.”</p>
<p>3xLOGIC will retain the Sonitrol brand name for products that will be available exclusively to Sonitrol dealers. However, with the help of this new group, 3xLOGIC will also develop new products for its own authorized dealer network</p>
<p>The Sonitrol product development group is located in Orlando. 3xLOGIC will maintain that facility. It also has offices in Victoria, British Columbia and Liaoning, China and its headquarters here in Colorado.</p>
<p>Financial terms of the deal were not released.</p>
<p>Walters said that 3xLOGIC is already working with the Orlando group.</p>
<p>She noted that Sonitrol has been known for its audio verification technology for 50 years. “They were the very first verified alarm response technology,” Walters said. “We don’t have any intention to modify that, but we want to enhance it with video,” she said.</p>
<p>3xLOGIC is looking forward to incorporating its video technology including its “compression technology that it developed in-house [to Sonitrol.]” Beyond that, 3xLOGIC wants to add mobility and cloud capabilities to Sonitrol, she said.</p>
<p>In addition to engineering and technical talent, the deal brings central station expertise to 3xLOGIC, Walters said.</p>
<p>While 3xLOGIC ahs always been a “video centric organization” with “video management software and hardware at the core,” the company today has moved into business intelligence. It takes data [video and other data] from a number of different inputs and presenting it in a useable format, via a graphical dashboard, Walters said.</p>
<p>The Sonitrol group “is excited and ready for the next level in their evolution and we are excited to work with them,” she said. </p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="3xLOGIC acquires Sonitrol product development" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Tue, 17 Jun 2014 17:02:10 +0000Leif Kothe17574 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/3xlogic-acquires-sonitrol-product-development#commentsSonitrol names new dealer association presidenthttp://securitysystemsnews.com/also-noted/sonitrol-names-new-dealer-association-president
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<div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2014-04-24T00:00:00-04:00">04/24/2014</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>FORT WORTH, Texas—Sonitrol, a provider of verified electronic security for homes, schools and businesses, has named Jeremy Bates, general manager of Sonitrol of Lexington, the new president of the Sonitrol National Dealers Association, according to a news release.</p>
<p>Bates was named president of the organization at the Annual Sonitrol National Dealers Association Convention and Awards Banquet, a four-day conference held here in late March.</p>
<p>“As we look back and celebrate Sonitrol’s first 50 years and all that we’ve built, I can’t help but to eagerly look ahead to the future of our company,” Bates said in the news release. “As verification plays an increasingly larger role in the electronic security landscape, Sonitrol will continue to redefine excellence within our industry.”</p>
<p>At the SNDA convention and banquet, Sonitrol employees across various fields, including sales, marketing, administration and technical support, were honored for their achievements, the release noted.</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Sonitrol names new dealer association president" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Thu, 24 Apr 2014 17:11:01 +0000Tess Nacelewicz17422 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/also-noted/sonitrol-names-new-dealer-association-president#commentsHoneywell First Alert enhances opportunities for NC dealerhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/honeywell-first-alert-enhances-opportunities-nc-dealer
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<div class="field-item even"> Sonitrol Security Services says becoming an FAP dealer gives it an edge in high-end resi</div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Tess Nacelewicz</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Sonitrol Security Services recently became a Honeywell First Alert Professional (FAP) dealer, a move that will help the company “take it to the next level” in the high-end residential market, said Sonitrol Security CEO and President William Price.</p>
<p>“For years, we’ve never really had a product that could get us in the residential or the low-end retail market and the Honeywell product line allows us to do that, not only with the LYNX product but also with their Vista product,” Price told Security Systems News.</p>
<p>Sonitrol Security, with an office here and in Greer, S.C. is celebrating its 40th year in business this year. It’s a Sonitrol dealer and that hasn’t changed since it became an FAP dealer, Price said.</p>
<p>“We’re still a Sonitrol dealer and we still lead with Sonitrol in certain markets [high-end retail and commercial and industrial] but this allows us to open up in the markets [high-end residential and low-end retail] we’ve not had before,” he said.</p>
<p>Sonitrol Security is a company with about 50 employees, its own monitoring station and about 5,000 customers throughout North Carolina and upstate South Carolina. It also has some monitoring customers in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and Buffalo, N.Y., Price said.</p>
<p>Its services had always included residential security but previously, “we had to sort of force fit the Sonitrol product [for] that high- end residential customer,” he explained.</p>
<p>He continued, “Before, we never really had a good answer and now we’ve got an answer [with the Honeywell product line] and not only do we have an answer, but we have a product and a service that we think is actually better than anything else out there in the marketplace.”</p>
<p>Why does Sonitrol Security target high-end homes?</p>
<p>“I think there’s less competition in high-end residential, believe it or not,” Price said. “Everybody is selling the $99 alarm systems but the guy that’s got a 3,000-, 4,000 or 5,000-sqare-foot house, that customer is smart enough to know that $99 isn’t going to cover his house. He’s probably doing it more for life safety than asset protection and if you’re in it for life safety you’re more into customizing security systems.”</p>
<p>And that’s the kind of security Sonitrol Security offers, he said.</p>
<p>“We were tired of seeing the residential marketplace, particularly in our major markets, getting destroyed by these very unprofessional selling and service organizations that are really into unit sales and not into protecting their customers. Our typical sales call takes two to three hours. And we don’t hard sell. We don't push them, there’s no arm twisting; we go in as consultants,” Price said.</p>
<p>Price said that after several meetings with Honeywell, “both of our visions really lined up with each other and it was the easiest partnership we’ve ever gotten ourselves into.”</p>
<p>He said other benefits of the FAP program include lots of training and literature and “being able to call up other First Alert dealers that are non-competing” for information.</p>
<p>He praised Honeywell’s commitment to the program. “Not only did they just say they’re going to support you, they have supported us and they’ve gone out of their way to make sure the communications lines are kept open and they approach us rather than us having to approach them. It’s quite refreshing.”</p>
<p>Honeywell said its FAP program “provides support in sales techniques and marketing strategies [for] dealers offering both commercial and residential systems. … It is the largest independent security dealer network in North America, with more than 500 participating security contractors.”</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Honeywell First Alert enhances opportunities for NC dealer" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 19 Feb 2014 18:59:28 +0000Leif Kothe17256 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/honeywell-first-alert-enhances-opportunities-nc-dealer#commentsOhio city enacts alarm verificationhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/ohio-city-enacts-alarm-verification
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:author dc:creator">Leif Kothe</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:datePublished dc:created"><span class="date-display-single" property="schema:datePublished dc:created" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2014-02-05T00:00:00-05:00">02/05/2014</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>Plagued by an astronomical 98 percent false alarm rate for security systems, Akron, Ohio is following the lead of several other major American cities and introducing verified alarm response, according to a report from the Associated Press, and a news release from Sonitrol, an audio verification company.</p>
<p>The policy, adopted in larger cities such as Detroit, Las Vegas and Milwaukee, is simple: If an alarm goes off, a possible crime must be confirmed prior to law enforcement dispatch.</p>
<p>There are several causes of false alarms—outdated systems and installation flaws are among the most common culprits. But whatever the cause, the torrent of towns and cities taking measures to address them suggests that municipalities and police departments have had enough. In addition to being a budgetary drag, false alarms can potentially have dire consequences if they delay police response to more critical calls.</p>
<p>To some, enacting policies designed to confirm crime prior to police dispatch sets the stage for greater cooperation between the industry and law enforcement. But according to the AP report, not everyone is sold on these measures being the best means of ensuring maximum public safety. David Margulies, spokesman for the SIAC, was quoted in the report saying such policies are "basically putting the public in danger." To be sure, there is a fundamental tension between the need for municipalities to save resources by reducing false dispatch and certain ideas about the best policies for responding to alarms. In the coming days, I hope to gather some opinions on both sides of this debate.</p>
<p>I’ll be interested to hear how municipal measures to curb false dispatches through verification policies modify the demands of central station personnel on the ground level. As such policies become more widespread, how will the industry change? Does the future of monitored alarms involve video or audio verification becoming de rigueur?</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Ohio city enacts alarm verification" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 05 Feb 2014 17:54:55 +0000Leif Kothe17219 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/blog/ohio-city-enacts-alarm-verification#commentsSonitrol system helps stop noisy coin shop thieveshttp://securitysystemsnews.com/also-noted/sonitrol-system-helps-stop-noisy-coin-shop-thieves
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<div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-09-12T00:00:00-04:00">09/12/2013</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>OLYMPIA, Wash.—Three thieves made it into the entryway of an Olympia rare coin shop, where they were stopped by a steel door. As they hammered away at the door, the shop’s Sonitrol verified audio detection security system activated.</p>
<p>The system alerted Solitrol Pacific’s Verification Center, and an operator listening to live audio from the shop called police, telling them about the location of the noises within the shop, according to a Sept. 11 news release.</p>
<p>When law enforcement arrived, one suspect was apprehended immediately, a second was caught after a chase and a third escaped. </p>
<p>Although the store was damaged, nothing was taken.</p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Sonitrol system helps stop noisy coin shop thieves" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Thu, 12 Sep 2013 19:48:52 +0000Leah Hoenen16781 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/also-noted/sonitrol-system-helps-stop-noisy-coin-shop-thieves#commentsMeet the Class of 2013http://securitysystemsnews.com/article/meet-class-2013
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<div class="field-item even">More women, lots of interest in technology in this year&#039;s class</div>
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<div class="field-item even" rel="schema:author dc:creator">Martha Entwistle</div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="schema:articleBody content:encoded"> <p>YARMOUTH, Maine—The editors of Security Systems News are pleased to present the <a href="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/class-2013-20-under-40">“20 under 40” Class of 2013</a>. </p>
<p>Each year, the "20 under 40" class has some notable characteristics. In 2013, we have more diversity in the nominees and in the honorees.</p>
<p>This is the seventh year we’ve asked readers to nominate talented young security professionals age 40 and younger who've displayed leadership qualities. We've always had at least four women in each class, and there were six in the Class of 2008. This year, we're pleased that eight women are among the honorees.</p>
<p>In years past, we've had several legacy honorees among those selected. By legacy we mean folks who are second- or third-generation employees in their family-owned business. This year, the sole legacy honoree is Bryan Bates from Bates Security/Sonitrol of Lexington.</p>
<p>There's no doubt that multi-generational family-owned businesses still have a strong and important presence in the security industry, but for SSN's "20 under 40" awards, we've definitely had increasing numbers of nominations from security companies that are not family businesses.</p>
<p>This is the second year that one of our "20 under 40s" has come from a cable company or telecom. Last year, the honoree was from Comcast. This year, we chose Erik Evans from Cox Home Security.</p>
<p>While Evans works for a company that's a new entrant into security, his sentiments about why he believe in his work are similar to ones we've heard from others over the years. Evans said his house was burglarized shortly before he started his job.</p>
<p>"I felt like I was fighting back against crime and making it possible for our customers to avoid ever having that sickening feeling my family and I had. I can’t put on a Batman suit and fight crime, but this is something I can do," he said.</p>
<p>Technology is something that "20 under 40" honorees mention every year during the interviews. Tech is what's cool and interesting about security, they say, and it's what many believe will draw more talented young people into the industry.</p>
<p>Security technology is something the public has learned more about in the past several months after the school massacre in Newtown and the terrorist bombing at the Boston Marathon.</p>
<p>During his interview, Robert Gaulden, VP of sales for Kratos, spoke about the reasons for his dedication to his work.</p>
<p>"I think the shootings that happened at Virginia Tech, my alma mater, have had the largest impact on my career. I never imagined such a tragic event could happen at a place I considered my home away from home," Gaulden said.</p>
<p>"From an industry standpoint, a tragedy like that weighs heavy, and you tend to take an analytical approach and think about what could have been prevented had the right systems been in place," he added.</p>
<p>It's never an easy task, but Rich, Tess, and Leif and I always enjoy the process of choosing and interviewing SSN's “20 under 40” honorees. There are many interesting, funny and inspiring stories among the following profiles. Congratulations to this year's class. We think you'll agree that they're all deserving of this honor. <a href="http://www.securitysystemsnews.com/article/class-2013-20-under-40">Click here to read profiles of the winners. </a></p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Meet the Class of 2013" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Wed, 12 Jun 2013 16:53:10 +0000Leif Kothe16540 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/article/meet-class-2013#commentsSonitrol audio alarm foils would-be jewelry thieveshttp://securitysystemsnews.com/also-noted/sonitrol-audio-alarm-foils-would-be-jewelry-thieves
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<div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-06-10T00:00:00-04:00">06/10/2013</span></div>
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<div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"> <p>HOLLYWOOD, Fla.—A pair of thieves attempting a heist at Koosh Jewelers here found themselves headed to jail instead after a Sonitrol audio detection alarm system heard them, barred them from entering and alerted authorities, according to a news release.</p>
<p>In the early hours of June 7, an audio monitor at the store captured a loud pounding sound outside the jewelry store, alerting the central station. Sonitrol staff immediately notified police, who arrived and arrested two suspects trying to gain entry through a side window with an ax.</p>
<p>Aware that the incident was verified, not false, 11 police officers arrived at the scene.</p>
<p>“Being able to detect the sounds thieves make can speed response,” John Ray III, president of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Sonitrol, said in the news release. “Whether they can be seen or not, live audio detection makes these individuals’ presence known and can provide important information to help police arrive prepared for what they may find.” </p> </div>
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<span property="dc:title" content="Sonitrol audio alarm foils would-be jewelry thieves" class="rdf-meta element-hidden"></span>Mon, 10 Jun 2013 13:23:32 +0000Leif Kothe16503 at http://securitysystemsnews.comhttp://securitysystemsnews.com/also-noted/sonitrol-audio-alarm-foils-would-be-jewelry-thieves#comments